Bell-striker.



Patented Aug. 7, I900.

E. D. ROCKWELL.

BELL STRIKER.

(Application file l 1m 16, 1909.

(No Model.)

50.. PuoYo-urua. WASHINGTON c c Uturnin Snaresv PATENT Genres,

EDIVARD D. ROCKWELL, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LIBERTY BELL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BELL-STRIKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,352, dated August 7, 1900.

Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial No. 1,619. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. ROCKWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Bell-Striker, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices used in bell mechanisms for sounding the gong; and the object of the invention is mainly to provide a'strikernrm that may be readily adjusted to different sizes of bells and also one which permits the adjustment of the striker-arm and striker with reference to its support in such manner as not to disturb the adjustment between the striker and the spring, which normally controls the striker to hold it out of action.

My invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a bicycle-bell with an alarm mechanism in which the striker is released by pressure upon a push-button, but several features of the invention are equally applicable to other classes of bells and with various forms of striker mechanisms.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the base and striker-operating mechanism of a bicycle-bell. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in side elevation,-of a hell with parts broken away to show construction. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective, on an enlarged scale, of one form of spring adapted to control the ratchet-wheel pawl and the strikerarm. Fig.4 is a top or plan view,on an enlarged scale, showing the verge, striker-arm, and striker of the improved form. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of striker also embodying the improvement. Fig. 6 is a detail top view of the hammer-arm.

In the accompanying drawings, a denotes the base of the bell, which is usually provided with any suitable form of clamping means for attachment to a bicycle. In the center of the bell there isarranged a gong-post or winding-arbor b, the threaded end of which screws into a threaded socket in a boss on the under surface of the gong in the usual manner. The gong is sounded by means of a hammer c, which is connected by means of a hammer-arm c to a verge 7c. The bell as a whole is provided with a spring-barrel located below the main plate f, which is secured to the upper edge of the cup-shaped base-piece, one end of the spring being fast to the springbarrel and the other fast'to the lower end of the winding-arbor Z2, and a train of gears is supported on the main plate f by means of posts and an upper plate (2, these several parts being arranged in the'ordinary manner common to bells of this class. A ratchetwheel I) is secured to the winding-arbor b, and a pawl d, pivoted to the upper plate e, controls the rotation of the arbor in one direction. A sleeve g, which is fast to the spring-barrel and turns with it, bears a main gear-wheel g, which meshes with a pinion of one of the train of gear-wheels, the last element in the train being an escape-wheel h, the teeth of which cooperate with the verge It in such manner that when the verge is left free to swing on its pivot the recoil of the wound spring drives the train of mechanism and the escape-wheel in such manner as to cause the rapid oscillation of the verge, the hammer c, which is attached to the verge, as by means of a hammer-arm 0, being thus caused to strike a series of rapid strokes against the gong.

In order to prevent the alarm device from operating except when desired or the parts from rattling, the pallets t" on the verge are held in contact with the teeth of the escapewheel in such manner as to prevent rotation of the latter by means of a spring, which in.

this instance is the arm Z of the bent spring Z. This spring is preferably formed in one piece and secured, as by .means of a rivet m, to the top plate e, with one arm, I, operating to hold the pawl d in contact With the ratchetwheel I) and the other arm lying in a differ ent plane, bent downward at right angles, so as to engage a spring-lug k on the verge 70, against which it presses in such manner as to normally prevent the oscillation of the verge and any movement of the hammer-arm.

It is obvious that other forms of springthan the one shown may be used and that the spring-lug on the verge may be arranged to project in a different plane, so as to make contact with the spring when differently arranged, such changes being merely within the skill of the artisan and embodying my im provement.

A push-button n is supported in a socket in the base a in convenient position for access from the outside of the bell, and the stem of this push-button is so located as to engage the arm Z of the spring Z, the pressure of which holds the bell-striking mechanism out of action. By inward pressure upon this push-button the spring is disengaged from the spring-lug and the hammer left free to vibrate under the recoil of the spring, which causes the train of gears to move and the verge to operate through the medium of the escape-wheel h.

Another feature of my invention resides in the hammer-arm 0, made of a single piece of metal, preferably a thin strip, stamped to shape and having through opposite ends openings 0 which fit upon a lug 15 formed on the verge, and a lug 0 formed on the hammer, the arm being secured to these parts by utilizing the lugs as rivets.

In the ordinary form of bell mechanism with a striker of the class described the retaining-spring, as P, presses against the hammer-arm, so that any movement of the latter which is necessary in order to adjust the hammer in proper position to strike the bell is apt to change the adjustment between the holding-spring Z and the hammer-arm c, leaving the parts free to rattle unless great care is taken in the adjustment of the hammer. In my improved device the spring is arranged to press upon a spring-lug which is independent from the hammer-arm, and therefore is not disturbed in the adjustment of the latter.

Another feature of invention lies in making the hammer-arm of sheet metal, as by so doing the hammer, after it has been riveted to the arm, may be turned so as to Wrap the hammer-arm about the side of the striker, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and thus enable the length of the hammer-arm to be varied for different sizes of bells. This possibility of adjusting the length of the hammer-arm as a whole enables a single set of parts-that is, a verge, hammer-arm, and hammer-to be used in bells of various sizes within quite a Wide range and does away with the need of difierent tools to make specialparts of different sizes for each different size of bell. This is an advantage not only in economy of manufacture, but in ease of adjustment.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise means herein shown and described for varying the length of the hammer-arm, as other means for accomplishing the same result may be employed and yet come within the scope of the invention.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination in a bell having a base, a gong and striking mechanism including a verge having a rivet-lug, a striker having a rivet-lug, and a hammer-arm having openings adapted to receive said rivet-lugs whereby the hammer, hammer-arm and verge are secured together.

2. In combination in a bell having a base, a gong and striking mechanism including a verge, a hammer, and a ham mer-arm secured to said parts and adapted to be Wrapped about one of said parts to provide for lengthwise adjustment.

EDWARD D. ROCKXVELL.

Vitnesses:

EDsoN M. PECK, MILES LEWIS Buck. 

